Hand held powered surgical instruments are well known in the medical field. In general, the operation of such instruments are controlled by depressing a trigger pin which extends from the body of the instrument. Most conventional hand held instruments include an external control lever for manually controlling the downward pressure applied to the trigger pin thereby controlling the operation of the instrument. The control lever allows the instrument to be easily activated and manipulated with one hand. Since the control lever is exposed, incorporating a safety mechanism into the control lever is desirable to prevent the instrument from being inadvertently activated during handling. Ideally, a safety mechanism should be operable with one hand and cooperate with the control lever.